City of Wapato–Anyone Seen That $300K Lying Around? It’s Gone

The State Auditor has informed the City of Wapato their accounting practices are "not adequate" to safeguard resources.

A recent audit, according to the Yakima Herald Republic, claims the city has mismanaged money taken in from Business and Occupation Payments and the cemetery fund, to the tune of some $308,000 that's missing.  At least unaccounted for.

That may not seem like much to large communities, but to a smaller town like Wapato, it's a lot.

The audit found that money taken in between 2011 and October 2017 did not match receipts, what was accounted for on the books did not match money collected.

The City notified the Auditor's office as required by law when the shortcomings were found. The information has been turned over to the Yakima County Sheriff's Office and Prosecuting Attorney for an investigation.  The City has been in hot water several times over the last three years over alleged financial issues.

There have been rumors of embezzlement, and it is believed a city accounting employee who left in the last couple of years may have been tied to such activity.